Dean Assails Bush on Defense(Cites Combat Pay, Veterans' Health Benefits)

[papau]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23741-2003Nov30.html

Dean Assails Bush on Defense
Rival Cites Combat Pay, Veterans' Health Benefits
By Howard Kurtz Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 1, 2003; Page A06

MERRIMACK, N.H., Nov. 30 -- Howard Dean launched a full-throated attack on President Bush's foreign policy acumen Sunday, saying Bush has "no understanding of defense," is conducting diplomacy by "petulance" and lacks "the backbone to stand up against the Saudis."

Amid a crush of well wishers seeking autographs at a high school here, Dean said of Bush: "I think he's made us weaker. He doesn't understand what it takes to defend this country, that you have to have high moral purpose. He doesn't understand that you better keep troop morale high rather than just flying over for Thanksgiving," as Bush did in visiting Baghdad.<snip>

Dean said that "the president is about to let North Korea become a nuclear power" because of his "petulance" and his dislike for that country's leader, Kim Jong Il. He chided Bush for not challenging Saudi Arabia for "using our oil money" through religious schools "to train the next generation of suicide bombers."

Blaming the war in Iraq on Bush's "bullheadedness," he said the president is "incapable" of winning international support for reconstruction efforts because "he managed to insult all the people whose help we need, gratuitously." <snip>

Dean also faulted the administration for failing to adequately inspect cargo shipments, citing an ABC News investigation in which depleted uranium was sent from Indonesia to Los Angeles without detection.<snip>

[izzie]

1. Go for it Dean, You got it right.

n/t